DOC Giant's Causeway: Frederick Douglass's Irish Odyssey and the Making of an American Visionary by Tom Chaffin in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Absolutely irreplaceable book – a MUST-READBy Matthew DavidsonA magnificently researched and very well written book; relying on many original sources. While we do not know much about what Douglass was doing on a day to day basis (much like we also don't know with Emily Dickinson) Frederick Douglass became; after his trip to Ireland; one of the most famous people in the world; and certainly the greatest Orator of his time; outranking everyone else. How could this be possible for a former slave with no formal education? Answer: he studied the book; "The Columbian Orator;" and inadvertently taught himself to become one of the greatest speakers and writers of the 19th Century. These accomplishments are not well known today; which is a shame; because Douglass's use of the English language is breathtaking – staggering – and sadly taken for granted nowadays.Dr. Chaffin does his subject an admirable and admiring service; researching a little known facet of Dougalass's life. This book is an absolute MUST-READ for anyone interested in African American history; American history; history in general; the civil rights movement; or anyone who wants be dazzled by powerful use of the English language. The numerous illustrations; as well as the snapshots of Douglass's original hand-written letters; add to the pleasure of reading Chaffin's book.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. An indelible portraitBy Joseph DolmanTom Chaffin has written a powerful and insightful account of Frederick Douglass’ lecture tour through Ireland; Scotland and England in 1845 and 1846. He gives us — in essence — an unforgettable portrait of the former slave and fledgling abolitionist as a young man. We see Douglass — then still in his 20s—as he comes to grips with Irish poverty first-hand and realizes he can’t advocate the abolition of American slavery without also embracing global human rights. “I see much to remind me of my former condition;” Douglass wrote the abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison in a letter from Dublin. “The cause of humanity is one the world over.”Chaffin also evokes deftly the relentless brutality of antebellum America — where slave owners regularly used whips; manacles; slave-breakers and the law to make their system work as an enterprise. One reason Douglass decided to embark on the British Isles tour was a well-founded fear that his new fame as an abolitionist could alert professional slave-catchers who would return him to involuntary servitude. “Giant’s Causeway” has a crucial lesson for anyone who might wonder why America still has a serious race problem nearly 150 years after the Civil War. It reminds us that while dramatic change is possible; the past has a long and haunting reach.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A "Must Read" book ...By Late Reader“Giant’s Causeway”Frederick Douglass’s Irish Odyssey and the Making of an American Visionaryby Tom ChaffinFrederick Douglass famously wrote; “A battle lost or won is easily described; understood; and appreciated; but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection; as well as observation; to appreciate it.”That we have this superbly realized new book to aid in our reflection; observation and appreciation of this pivotal time in the life of Frederick Douglass should be celebrated; and its lessons most certainly applied to our struggles here in the twenty first century. This meticulously researched work; drawn from diaries; letters and well vetted documents; tells a far-reaching tale of events and people who shaped Douglass and his world. The influence of the Irish people on Douglass; especially that of nationalists Daniel O'Connell and John Mitchel; cannot be overstated and Tom Chaffin has created a concise; almost poetic manuscript that delivers the details of just how and why this occurred. One must read “Giant’s Causeway” to fully understand the Frederick Douglass who returned to America; and as most scholars will tell you; understanding Douglass just might hold the key to understanding today’s race relations in America.